This section introduces aspects that may be helpful in facilitating a better understanding of the invention. Accordingly, the statements of this section are to be read in this light and are not to be understood as admissions about what is in the prior art or what is not in the prior art.
Many people do not find video conferencing a practical way in which to conduct meetings on a regular basis. Multiple focal points and different interfaces may disrupt the natural flow of conversation among meeting participants. Projected presentations, notes on a whiteboard, speakers in the meeting room, and speakers at remote sites, e.g., viewed via a monitor, create multiple focal points in different sections of a meeting room. Therefore, participants may find themselves constantly switching between different focal points.
Using portable and configurable video conferencing equipment can increase the practicality of video conferencing, e.g., which would allow setting up video conferencing in any meeting room. However, with equipment available today, portability still includes moving around bulky monitors, which considerably limits the practicality, especially for small meetings with few people. Also configurability for focused or broad coverage still requires changing a multiplicity of heavy cameras, angles and mounts.
In addition, desktop video conferencing (e.g., through a computer, etc.) for a meeting including 3-4 people around a small table in a manager's office is not sufficient, nor does an ordinary office have room for typical video conferencing equipment, portable or not.